Mother’s love and God’s love for His children

Out of all the valuable human interactions we witness, a mother’s love stands a measure above all. The sacrifice, compassion, care, and commitment from mothers are experiences we have all witnessed in tangible ways, so many times and in so many ways. God uses this familiar experience to describe His love for His children of Israel in the book of Isaiah.

“Can a woman forget her nursing child,
that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget you.

- Isaiah 49: 15, ESV

These are the words written years prior to the Babylonian captivity around 700 BC. After the great kings of David and Solomon, Israel was not in a good shape at the time of the prophet Isaiah. The Syrians had caused havoc. At the time of this writing, the prophet was describing the forthcoming captivity from the Babylonians. The above verse is a reminder to the children of Israel who say ‘the Lord has forsaken me’ as they suffer in the hands of their enemies. This is where this beautiful verse comes through. A mother’s love is the most beautiful expression of compassion in this world. It is very uncommon for a mother to show no compassion to her children. But God says, “Even if a mother forgets, I will not forget.”

As history unfolds, Israel goes from captivity to captivity. For a moment, any Jew could have thought of how this could happen to the chosen people of the LORD. The Babylonians, Greeks, and later the Romans unfolded their treachery upon Israel at different stages of time.

They continued to rebel and misunderstand like the Prophet described in the beginning:

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth;
for the LORD has spoken:
“Children have I reared and brought up,
but they have rebelled against me.

The ox knows its owner,
and the donkey its master’s crib,
but Israel does not know,
my people do not understand.”

- Isaiah 1: 2-3

What a sad state of the rebellion of Israel. These children have rebelled at times of prosperity and adversity. To whom shall the child turn at a time of war? At such a time, the LORD declares them “Ah, stubborn children” as they, at the time of impending war, forsake God and carried out their own foolish plan. (Chp 30) Despite this rebellion, the hand of the LORD continued to move in the midst of chaos. On one of those occasions, the angel of the LORD went and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians who were set to invade Jerusalem. (Chp 37) Not to mention, the scared king Sennacherib had to return without unleashing his havoc.

God had never forgotten them in any of those tragic times. In fact, the anointed one himself was born in the womb of Mary in one of those times. God himself declared centuries before “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Chp 7) A mother’s love is so compassionate that even the King of Kings could enjoy it in His life in this world.

Though Israel was waiting hopefully for the Messiah, the majority of them didn’t recognize or receive him when He actually walked in their midst. Isaiah spoke of the ministry of the chosen one as:

Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
    he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
    or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
    and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;

- Isaiah 42:1-3

In an amazing fulfillment of prophetic words, at his earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus himself read this word spoken about him. But did they heed?

He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Isaiah 53:3

Not only did the children reject the Lord, but they brutally killed him. And yet by His death, Jesus had prepared a way of peace and redemption for the whole of mankind, including the Jews and Gentiles. And those who believe in Him become part of His kingdom and church. One thing, however, we should not forget is there are specific promises that need to be fulfilled with respect to Israel. The church should not be thinking that God forgot Israel and they no longer have any place in the eternal plans of God.

Since the time of Isaiah and Jesus, a lot has happened with Israel. Who would not have heard of the Holocaust in these ages and the atrocities done to Jews in many parts of the world? Honestly, it would have been hard for any Jew who went through such horrific times to believe they will hear any good news. Miraculously, though, along with the whole world, the same generation of Jews who were harmed saw a restored kingdom of Jews formed.

Israel, as a nation, has not accepted the Messiah yet. Even though they have not been abandoned by the Lord, the people of Israel have not accepted the salvation that the Lord has ready for them. However, the Lord still desires to bring them back and set up his kingdom in Jerusalem.

It is not that God had chosen Israel because they are any special people or class. But Israel is special because God has chosen them. Like a mother pursues after her child, God still continues to remember them and pursues them with compassion.

I admire and adore the Lord who speaks to us His words particularly using familiar language and relatable terms. One such example was seen above in the book of Isaiah speaking of the compassion of a mother. Just as a mother cares for and provides, the Lord cares for and provides for anyone who turns to Him. There are specific instances of that love with regard to the whole world and Israel as a nation. In either of those cases, none deserved any special merit to be pursued by the Lord. But God’s love is restorative and redemptive. It appears even in the darkest of times and ages. He could bring beauty out of any ashes. Even when the children resist, His love pursues them!

“Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake his way,
    and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

- Isaiah 55:6-7

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